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Lesbian Sex HIV Transmission: First Confirmed Case Reported By CDC

Lesbian sex, statistically, carries the lowest risk for transmission of the HIV virus, compared to any other form of sexual contact. While cases of HIV transmission occurring as a result of sex between women have been reported, they are rare and none have been reliably confirmed. Until now.

The Atlanta-based Center For Disease Control this week reported the first documented case in which researchers believe that they have confirmed that the HIV virus, which is thought to be the cause of AIDS, was contracted by a woman directly from lesbian sex in a monogamous female relationship.

For the first time, researchers writing the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report say, other external risk factors such as intravenous drug use, tattooing, blood transfusions or organ transplants have been ruled out as the reason why the woman in the case study contracted the HIV virus.

According to what she told health officials, she had only one sexual partner in the previous six months, her 43-year-old girlfriend.

The 43-year-old had was known to be HIV-positive and had ceased taking anti-retroviral medication in 2010. The couple told the health officials that they routinely had lesbian sex with no form of protection, such as use of barriers that could prevent transmission of body fluids.

According to the CDC report, the danger of HIV transmission during lesbian sex comes from “unprotected exposure to vaginal or other body fluids and to blood from menstruation, or to exposure to blood from trauma during rough sex.”

The couple reported that their regular sexual habits included, “oral and vaginal contact and using insertive sex toys that were shared between them but were not shared with any other persons. They described their sexual contact as at times rough to the point of inducing bleeding in either woman,” the CDC said.

They also reported engaging in lesbian sex when at least one partner was experiencing her menstrual period.

Previous reports of HIV being transmitted through lesbian sex, according to the CDC, included a woman in the Philippines, but no source of the HIV transmission could be confirmed in her case, and a 20-year-old woman who reported exclusive sexual relations for two years with another woman who was HIV positive.

In the case of the 20-year-old, no testing was conducted to see if her HIV was a genetic match for that of her partner.

In the 2012 Texas case, the newly infected woman had HIV virus that was a 98 percent genetic match for the HIV carried by her partner.

The couple never received any counseling on ow to reduce risk in sexual contact.

“Couples should receive counseling regarding safer sex practices,” said the CDC, referring to couple engaged in lesbian sex as well as heterosexual and gay male couples.